Walk in for a Work out

An article on "Green Health Club"

By S. Gupta

We can incorporate principles of green living in our daily pursuit of improving our
health and staying fit. A green health club helps us achieve just that.

Since it's always healthier to be eco-friendly, a green health club is a logical extension of the conventional health club that houses equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.
The environment in which we live affects our health. So a holistic approach to any fitness program should include the environment as a factor of staying fit. A green health club therefore claims to improve health through its use of eco-friendly equipment and material and natural workout regimens.

Some fitness freaks say that if we exercise everyday, we can keep the doctor away! Exercise helps increase physical strength and immunity, making the body more capable enough to resist illnesses. A green health club shows how to keep fit naturally without making use of special hi-tech devices. The ultimate result being a reduction in health care costs and an induction of anti-aging effects.

A green health club recommends time-tested methods of staying fit like yoga, walking, biking and dancing. They however replace ordinary stationary bikes with ones that can generate electricity - the energy thus produced goes back into the green health club's grid.

From using exercise equipment made from recycled materials to reducing the use of water, a green health club strives to be eco-friendly in every manner.

Any normal health club can score brownie points by becoming a green health club. This metamorphosis will not only help it differentiate its service from others in its ilk but also help it increase its membership. With sincere efforts to be eco-friendly in its functions, a green health club will be able to impress environmentalists and health-conscious people as well as manage to figure in the local media's good books.

A green health club is basically a gym equipped with the usual exercise and sports gear - mats, bands, balls, treadmills, rowing machines, stationary bikes, dumbbells and barbells - made from recycled materials. Certain areas in it may have mirrors to help members monitor and rectify their postures during workouts. It should have energy-efficient toilets fitted with low-flow shower heads to minimize water usage, organic cotton towels in place of chlorine-bleached ones, CFLs and LEDs in place of standard light-bulbs, floor made of recycled rubber, water fountain instead of plastic cups and finally - if feasible - renewable energy from solar panels !

A green health club may even employ personal trainers to provide guidance to members on physical training, fitness regimen, diet charts and general health. A more diversified
green health club may include steam showers, saunas or even a spa as additional
services to its existing workout facilities !

For ecopreneurs, a green health club is a business opportunity that can help him or her make profits while going green. A green health club is not only an eco-friendly venture, but a healthier option for all - the entrepreneur, his staff and his members.